Posted By Christopher Dempsey On October 1, 2012 @ 3:34 pm In Colorado State University,Football,Mountain West Conference | No Comments

Colorado State quarterback Garrett Grayson is helped off the field after being injured during the first half against Air Force. (The Fort Collins Coloradoan, Rich Abrahamson)

FORT COLLINS – In general, Colorado State coach Jim McElwain looks at the injury situation on his team and is satisfied.

“When you look at it, from an injury standpoint, basically five games through your season, it’s really not that bad,” he said. “When you look at what has happened in the past when there were some pretty catastrophic things that occurred throughout the roster.”

And yet this week he’s watching two of his best players — quarterback Garrett Grayson and cornerback Momo Thomas — go under the knife. Grayson underwent surgery Monday morning to repair a broken clavicle. Thomas’ shoulder surgery is set for Wednesday, McElwain said.

There is no timetable for Grayson’s return. Those injuries, however, usually take in the neighborhood of six weeks to fully recover.

And with eight weeks remaining in CSU’s football season, Grayson is going to be hard-pressed to make it back with a significant number of games remaining. McElwain said the subject of a medical redshirt has been broached, but nothing has been discussed in-depth and probably won’t be until season’s end.

Meanwhile, Thomas, a senior, may have played his last snap for the Rams. The surgery and recovery period is likely to sideline him for the rest of the season.

“It would be a stretch anyway (for Thomas to return), I believe,” McElwain said. “But I’m not giving up hope that he can finish his senior year.”

Defensive lineman Zach Tiedgen (knee) “should be one of those 2-3 week situations,” McElwain said. “Obviously, in the defensive line it’s the place where we can’t afford that sort of thing, yet at the same time he won’t be out for the duration.” Tiedgen left Saturday’s game against Air Force in the first quarter, minutes before Grayson’s injury.

Defensive lineman John Froland remains out with a neck stinger that continues to impact his arm strength. McElwain said he’s still “week-to-week based on that nerve ending coming back.”

McElwain noted the nicks and bruises nagging various offensive linemen are healed and unit is ready for a regular rotation. “We’re back to full strength in the o-line,” he said. “We can get back to a solid, six-seven man rotation in the offensive line.”